


Tusk Love

by RandoScorpio



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Adventure & Romance, F/M, Half-orc, I'm Bad At Tagging, Romance, Shipwrecks, Tusk Love (Critical Role)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:47:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26240608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RandoScorpio/pseuds/RandoScorpio
Summary: Set in a fantasy world within a fantasy world, read the story of Tusk Love.  The slightly forbidden romance between the half-orc Oskar, and the feisty daughter of a merchant Gwen.  Follow them on the road as they fight bandits, goblins, and make a few coins along the way. The seas are cruel, the nights are cold, and in the end, they discover that love may well carry them through the ages.***Contains Explicit Sexual Content***
Relationships: Oskar/Gwenevere
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

** Chapter 1- The Amber Road **

Oskar crashed through the dense brush of the forest following the trail of some bandits. They had been terrorizing the trade routes along the Amber Road. He had the request from Druvenlode tucked into his pack. They were willing to pay a small fortune to get rid of these bandits after a prominent merchant's daughter had gone missing on her way to the coast. As off-putting as the situation sounded, Oskar was glad for the chance to make coin. The fight he expected was a bonus.

The scar across his face was his pride and joy, and most would say that it did not detract from a handsome face, for a half-orc, at least. His jaw was strong and square, and he had one broken tusk, which made his smile look lopsided and roguish. He was well built and lean from fighting and surviving in the wild.

Voices made Oskar slow his approach as the trees started to thin, and he hid in a bush, drawing his sword and watching the camp in the clearing. There was gambling and shouting at shabby tables around the clearing where the camp sat. Tents and tarps set up as shelter were torn and nearly falling over. His nose curled at the smell of unwashed bodies and sour ale that wafted out of the camp. Then amongst the grime laden bandits, he saw a woman he could only guess was the missing daughter, her long auburn hair fell in soft waves down her back, and her clothing was finer than anything else worn by the rest of the camp. If this wasn't enough of a hint, she was also locked in a large cage and being taunted by a few of the men.

Oskar felt a slow rage building in his body as they continued their tirade, but he was impressed by the woman who just stood there and crossed her arms unimpressed by whatever the men were saying. Something about the way one of her hands moved made him curious, was she planning something?

The half-orc sunk back into the forest to wait until night, that would be when it would be quieter and easier to attack. He took stock of his supplies and rested for the upcoming fight.

Gwen had been putting up with the heckling and catcalling for days now. She was convinced that her father thought she was dead by now because no one in the camp seemed to be able to write a ransom note. This whole situation was not convenient. It meant she was on her own, and she sighed as she paced the cage they had put her in.

The same few men came around and harassed her, offering her freedom for a 'night of passion,' and she rolled her eyes at them. Stepping close to the bars, she distracted them with a few harsh words of rejection and took that moment of distraction to pick a pocket through bars. Truthfully, this wasn't her first attempt, and she had a small collection of pocket fluff and buttons, along with other useless things. She had to hide her smile as she crossed her arms and concealed the small object she had lifted. The men left laughing at her, and Gwen pulled out the little piece of metal and sat in the corner of her cage with her back to the rest of the camp. All she had to do was make it to nightfall.

Darkness crept over the camp, and Gwen picked up some dirt off the bottom of her cage while she moved at the same time to the lock. The bandits were busy building fires and lighting torches as she used the makeshift tool to pick the lock to her cage. There was a satisfying click, and she smiled.

"Walk on." She tapped her shoulder with the hand that held the dirt and felt a tingle run through her legs as the door to her cage opened.

Oskar approached the camp in time to watch the door swing open, and the woman seemed to pat herself on the back for the job well done, and then with incredible speed, she zipped into the camp. He was still on the fence as to whether he should rescue her or not. Oskar briefly considered the thought that maybe the merchant would pay extra for his daughter's safe return, but she was handling herself well.

He drew his longsword as he lumbered into the camp slashing through the bandits that tried to flee from the fight. It was clear that the young woman was a capable fighter as she cut the bandits down one after another as they came at her. She managed to acquire a rapier and a dagger, and her movements were quick and precise, but one of the bandits was coming up behind her. He was too far back to be useful with his sword, so Oskar moved his free hand in the air and crackling energy wrapped around his fingers.

"Strike!" As he spoke the word clearly into the night, two beams of energy slammed into two bandits, and he moved closer to the woman. "You're making my job too easy."

Gwen heard the shout and watched the two bandits crumple under the impact. "I don't need your help."

"That's obvious, but I can't help myself when there's a fight." Oskar laughed at her snappy tone.

"Suit yourself," Gwen grumbled at him as she cut down another bandit.

It took a little less than an hour to pick off the bandits that stayed to fight, the rest scattering to the night. Oskar was cleaning his blade, and Gwen was picking through bodies, and collecting arrows, bolts, and anything else of value. She laid out a selection of bows and crossbows, studying each one carefully in the flickering light of the torches.

"Where did a merchant's daughter learn to fight like that?" Oskar asked, inspecting his blade.

"I get to do work on the trade routes. You pick up a thing or two about workplace safety." She shrugged as she seemed to decide on a crossbow and a short bow. Gwen picked up the arrows and bolts, strapping the weapons to her body.

"What you did, that's not just something you pick up." Oskar sheathed his sword and stepped up to her, looking straight down into her eyes, one eyebrow raised. "You're hiding something."

"I don't have to tell you anything, brute." She had moved on to picking pockets and was moving towards the makeshift tents. "How much did my father offer you?"

"Pardon?" Oskar's face scrunched in confusion.

"For my rescue," Gwen said offhandedly.

"He didn't. I'm here for the city of Druvenlode, to deal with their bandit problem." He said, following her into the tents as she rummaged through mostly junk and pulled out the few useful or valuable items.

"I see. So he thinks I'm dead." She seemed to be talking to herself, and then she straightened and faced the hulking half-orc. "How much did they offer?"

"600 gold pieces," Oskar said, leaning away from her intense stare.

"Double." Gwen held up two fingers and saw the confusion in his eyes. "I will double that, 1200 gold pieces, plus whatever you loot, with a chance to make a bonus if things go especially well. Travel with me, and help me get through dangerous places."

"Where do you plan to get all this gold?" Oskar raised an eyebrow and gave her a sideways look.

"Here." Gwen held up a hand and wiggled her fingers, on her pointer finger was a gold band stamped with a sigil, on her other fingers were more gold bands. "I have plenty to sell in Fluffernutton."

"Fine. After I go collect my reward from Druve-"

"No! It has to be now!" She cut him off and stepped up close to him. "I'll pay the 600 they would pay you in addition to the 1200 I am offering if we gather what I will need and leave now."

"So. If I leave with you now, that's," Oskar started counting on his fingertips, "1800 gold pieces?"

"Yes."

"Plus, loot?"

"Yes."

"Plus, a possible bonus?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure you're from a merchant family? You aren't very good at negotiating." Oskar said skeptically as the woman seemed to bore a hole through him with her staring. He sighed, she seemed determined enough, and he wasn't one to pass up the chance of a significant payoff. He held out a large hand to seal the deal. "Oskar."

"Gwenevere Marchand, of Marchand Merchandising." Gwen put her smaller hand into Oskar's beefy grip, and they shook on their arrangement. "Call me, Gwen."

"Alright, Gwen," she felt the heat in her cheeks as his deep voice said her name, "where do we start?"

She quickly pulled her hand from his grip and turned to the small pile of weapons, armour, and trinkets she had laid out. "I'm going to pick this place clean of anything that might be valuable, and you can see if they have a cart we can steal."

"I'll go look for a cart then." With that, he slipped out of the tent, and Gwen continued to rifle through pockets and used her new dagger to pry open boxes and look for hidden compartments.

By midnight they had a cart half full of items, organized by type and use. Smaller and more precious items were in a pouch slung to Gwen's waist, and the pair stared at the wagon.

"No horses?" Gwen asked.

"Not even a mule."

"I mean... It's not that big-"

"Nope. Not happening." Oskar cut off her train of thought.

"They must have had a horse or something!"

"And they cut them all loose or rode them away while we were fighting."

"Really, though, it's only 20 miles or so to Fluffernutton, and it can't be that heavy."

"Are you helping?" Oskar said through gritted teeth.

"Of course!" Gwen grabbed one of the harnesses attached to the wagon and looked at Oskar expectantly. He sighed and grabbed the other side, and they both grunted as they attempted to move the heavy load. 

"This isn't going to work." Oskar put down the harness.

"It won't if you give up! Come on; it started to budge!" She pleaded, still tugging at the wagon.

"I'll be back." With that declaration, he stalked off into the trees.

Alone in the camp, Gwen grumbled and rifled around for some food, and started to cook a simple meal. Her ears twitched as rustling put her on edge, and she reached for a dagger.

"Just me." Oskar's voice came through the darkness.

"I almost killed you." She sighed and flopped down onto her butt as the fire crackled, and some meat and vegetables started simmering.

"Would've saved you a pretty penny, if you think you could kill me." Oskar was laughing, and there was the sound of more footsteps. "Found us a horse."

Gwen craned her neck back, and even in the low light, she could see the red smeared across the horse's flank. So long as the animal wasn't injured, she figured it was fine. Besides, was this the time to grow a conscience after slaughtering the other bandits? Nope, she reminded herself that they had it coming.

"I guess we're eating first then, that smells great." Oskar was standing over her and leaning forward to sniff at the soup, for lack of a better word.

"Just a bit of soup, I didn't know how long you'd be gone." As she leaned back, her head bumped against his leg, he didn't seem to notice the contact, but Gwen was starting to notice how burly this half-orc was.

Oskar looked down to find Gwen leaning against his legs, and he swallowed hard. The fire half-lit her face, and the shadows were playing on the curves of her body. Suddenly she stood and turned to face him, a determined glint in her large green eyes. Then she reached up to his face touching the scar that ran across it. Her fingers were rough, from years of work, but the touch was gentle and sent a shiver down his spine.

"Uhh, Gwen?" Oskar grabbed her hand and saw the blush bloom on her pale cheeks. He felt the heat rise in his skin as she elicited a full-body response from him, with her lips half parted. "What's up?"

They had known each other for less than a day, and she was coming on to him? He grabbed her shoulders and held her at arm's length, and she pouted at him. It only served to help him notice her full lips, and he had sudden urges that were becoming hard to silence.

"Have I gone too far? You know you're handsome, and I figured we would be spending quite a lot of time together," Gwen continued her pout, "I thought we should make sure it's fun too. If you aren't interested, that's fine too, though."

Gods and Goddesses above, he was definitely interested. "You sure? I'm not known for gentleness."

"Trying to dissuade me?" Gwen's lips curled into a coy smile as his grip on her loosened, and she started undoing the buckles of his armour. "There's plenty of time to make it to town tomorrow, I think."

Her fingers were clumsy on his armour, and Oskar was glad for the permission she was granting him. It wasn't often he got to have a good fight and a good lay, and even less frequently on the same day. He grabbed her hands and placed them on his neck as he leaned down and kissed her while moving to undo his clothing on his own.

Her lips were soft, and she tasted sweet on his tongue as she ran her fingers through his shaggy hair and sighed in contentment. Oskar groaned as his pants grew tight against the bulging mass contained within. His armour clattered to the ground, and Gwen's hands travelled down his chest, and he groaned against her lips again.

Oskar stepped closer to her and began to fumble with Gwen's clothing when she reached back to undo the ties on her dress. Once they were loosened, Oskar pounced on the opportunity to release one of her ample breasts, panting he broke from the kiss and leaned down to wrap his lips around her perked up nipple. Her cry of pleasure urged him on as his tongue traced circles on the tender skin.

Gwen sighed as Oskar continued to work at her nipple, and she struggled with the last few ties on her dress. With growing frustration, she groaned at her clothing.

“Rip it!" She cried out in a breathy voice of desperation. She was left bereft as Oskar released her breast from his mouth, and he grabbed each side of the dress and ripped it in half, leaving it to fall in ruins around her.

Oskar then removed his own clothing, revealing a well-toned muscular abdomen, which Gwen reached out to touch. Oskar sucked in a sharp breath as he grabbed Gwen and lifted her to straddle his hips, pinning her back against the wagon. He was rough, but mindful not to harm her. His hands travelled her body almost reverently, and she shuddered under his calloused fingers.

"You sure about this?" Oskar whispered in her ear, his breath hot and fast.

"Yes, I'm sure." She was on pins and needles, her skin was hot, and her stomach was in knots as she leaned in and kissed his neck.

Oskar plunged a hand between them and pulled himself free from his pants, pushing Gwen's undergarments out of the way, ripping them in the process. He pressed his length against her and moaned at the wetness that greeted him. He pushed on and almost buckled at the knees as he entered her, and she nearly screamed.

"You alright?" He grimaced as she wiggled against him, that had been a sound of pain, not merely pleasure.

"Yes, fine, please don't stop!" Gwen panted as the heat inside her grew, and she pawed at Oskar, digging her nails into him until he slammed into her; she felt like she was being ripped apart, every muscle in her body seemed to contract in ecstasy.

Oskar froze inside her as she bucked and squeezed him. He waited until she relaxed and began to move in a slow rhythm inside her, urged on by her pleasured cries into the night, and her encouraging words of faster, and harder.

Gwen felt him heeding her call for him to move faster as she felt herself climbing up to the edge of that delightful drop into bliss. She cried out again as he began frantically pulsing in and out until he slammed deep and released himself inside her. She sighed as he lowered them both to the ground and pulled himself out.

It was at this moment that he saw the blood, and gave her a concerned look. "Are you injured?"

"No, it's quite common to bleed the first time, at least that's what I'm told." Gwen shrugged as she watched his brow knit together, and he opened his mouth to say something. She held a hand up to cut him off. "I knew what I was asking for, and I really enjoyed myself. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but really that was amazing."

"So long as you are alright with it, then it's fine." Oskar seemed to pout and grumbled under his breath. "Although, that isn't how one should have their first time..."

Gwen was already preoccupied with her dress, she rummaged in a pouch and pulled out two stones whispering over the garment, and it stitched itself back together. She then busied herself, getting dressed and checking on the soup.


	2. Goblins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On their way to Fluffernutton, Gwen and Oskar fight to protect their wagon full of wares.

Gwen woke up, curled up in Oskar's arms. It was such a casual sort of embrace, and somehow that made it more embarrassing. They hadn't fallen asleep like this; it had just happened in the night. She squirmed out from under his large arm, went and relieved herself behind a tent, and started hitching up the horse. It was going to take them the better part of the day to make it to town, and they would have to barter for rooms at an inn, likely they would end up in the same room to save coin. It wouldn't be until tomorrow that she could start to pay Oskar or start building her fortune.

Oskar woke to a boot kicking the bottoms of his feet. He opened his eyes and found Gwen was the source of the rude awakening.

"Good morning?" Oskar sat up and adjusted his clothing, so it wasn't as crooked on his body.

"Good morning indeed." Gwen chirped. "The horse is hitched, and the wagon is ready, it'll take most of the day to get to Fluffernuton. So let's get going!"

"Anyone ever tell you you're too happy in the morning?" Oskar grumbled and walked off into some trees to take care of his morning business.

"All the time, but a new day is an opportunity for a new coin." Gwen called out to him while she busied herself, double-checking the harness. "What could be more exciting than more coin?"

"Sleeping in?" Oskar grumbled as he walked up to the wagon.

"Well then, you can sleep in the wagon on the way there." Gwen hauled herself up into the driver's seat.

"Nope, I'm getting paid to escort and keep you and your junk safe." Oskar yawned and positioned himself next to Gwen.

"It's not just junk. It's merchandise. So consider it profitable junk other people will want." She urged the horse on, and the wagon was off as Oskar grumbled something she didn't hear.

They followed a trail that cut through the trees and led southeast until it hooked back into The Amber Road. Farmland stretched out to the horizon on their right, and the forest hemmed them in on the left side of the road. Both rode in heavy silence for a few minutes down the road.

"About last night," they both started at the same time. Oskar nodded and let Gwen go first.

"I just wanted to apologize for ambushing you like that." She lowered her head and then looked back over at him. "I had my own reasons, but I shouldn't have surprised you like that."

"It's fine, I just want to make sure you aren't too sore today." Colour spread on his cheeks, and he looked away into the forest.

"Oh," Gwen's own face flushed with heat, "no, I'm fine, thank you for your concern."

"Shh." Oskar held up a hand and unsheathed his large blade, pointing into the treeline he lowered his voice. "Sounds like goblins."

Gwen pulled out a bow and knocked an arrow, nodding to Oskar. The Goblins rushed out of the treeline, and the horse spooked and took off jostling the pair. Gwen recovered first and stood, turning and firing at the goblins. The wagon’s erratic movement made her miss, the arrow going wide to the left.

Oskar worked at getting the horse to slow down as Gwen stood and fired again. Her arrow missed a second time and she cursed under her breath. The goblins threw tiny spears and hollered at the wagon. More came speeding out of the trees ahead of them. Before the horse had time to stop, Gwen dropped the bow and leapt from the driver's seat and landed in a somersault popping up onto her feet and pulled out the rapier and dagger.

"Ten over here!" She called to Oskar as she closed in on them.

Oskar hauled on the reigns and got the spooked horse stopped before jumping down and charging at the second group of goblins. He swung with deadly force and moved with an ease that came from years of fighting.

"Ten here too!" He called out, cracking a smile. "Wanna race?"

"You're on!" Gwen said as she danced through the small hoard, picking them off quickly. Her sword flashed in the mid-morning light, and goblin blood was soaking into the road.

Oskar was less graceful as he mowed down the small creatures. His sword came down hard and fast on heads and cleaved goblins nearly in half as he grinned. "Halfway there!"

Gwen laughed as the last goblin on her side dropped its weapons and turned to flee. She threw her dagger and caught it in the back of the head. "I'll be right over to help you out then."

She sauntered past the wagon and heard Oskar growling in frustration as a pair of small goblins needled at him with their spears. She moved closer and cut one of them down while Oskar finally got his blade stuck in the other.

"That's eleven for me and nine for you." Gwen teased.

"Little bastards are quick," Oskar grumbled.

They collected the left ears off the bodies and pushed them into the ditch for animals to dispose of the corpses. Dusting themselves off, they hopped back onto the wagon and continued on their way to Fluffernutton.

The rest of the day passed without incident, and they arrived sooner than Gwen had expected to the local inn. There was still time to trade with the local store owners. They inquired about goblin bounties and turned in the ears as proof of their kills. Gwen then disappeared as Oskar counted out his share of the gold for the bounty. They had split it half and half; he glared at the coins and paid for their room and sat down to a tankard of local mead.

Gwen spent her evening going to the local blacksmith and selling their goods. She found the general store had a prized item and managed to haggle a reduced price by trading some of the higher-value things in the small pouch at her side. It had been worth it. A bag of holding would allow them to carry more merchandise and travel lighter.

She then set to work buying a stock that would sell well in the next settlement. A small village called Bexeley that sat at a fork in the road northeast from Fluffernutton. It was small, but there was a demand for ale, iron, and wheat. She put the items into her bag and returned to the inn to find Oskar arm wrestling with local men for coin.

"In addition to the coin, if any of you can beat him, I'll let you be my very personal bodyguard." She winked at Oskar, as she drew a larger crowd to the table. All eagerly placing sizeable sums of coin down.

After an hour of taking on challenges, the rest of the bar had thrown up their hands at the chances of winning. Oskar collected the mostly copper and silver coins from the table.

"Shall we go talk business upstairs?"

"Let's." Gwen smiled at him and let Oskar lead the way upstairs.

They spread out their combined wealth on the table, and Gwen furrowed her brow. "That's yours. You earned it on your own. I don't want it."

"Yes, well, you gave me an equal half of the gold from the goblin bounty. I didn't kill half." Oskar frowned at her.

"But you paid for the room. So we’re even." She countered.

"But, you did all the selling and haggling." Oskar stood and slammed his hands on the table.

"You're so pig-headed! Just take the money!" Gwen slammed the table in response and stood so violently that her chair fell over.

"Just split it all together!" Oskar boomed, both of them were red in the face, and the shouting match continued longer than it should have. Gwen gave in and split the whole pot evenly.

Waiting for Oskar to look away, she slipped the coppers and silvers from his arm-wrestling into a separate pouch. In the end, they each filled their coin purse with 200 gold pieces, 12 silver and 46 copper.

Oskar was the first to strip down and crawl into the large bed, rolling over with his back to her. Gwen blushed but followed suit. She reached out tentatively to touch the muscles of his back.

He turned over and reached out to touch her face, stopping short until her hand came up and guided him the rest of the way. Gwen took this to mean she was welcome and scooted closer to him. Oskar radiated warmth, and his build made her feel safe there. She closed her eyes and fell asleep almost instantly in his embrace.


	3. Under the Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On their way to Stonewater Gwen reveals a secret, and Oskar bargains to travel to Palmarae Island.

The next day Gwen traded the wagon in for another horse and handed it off to Oskar. With the bag of holding on her back, she could store all their goods, and they could travel faster without the wagon in tow.

They set off on the Garnet Road towards Bexeley; without a wagon, the horses carried them quickly to the small settlement. Gwen again stopped at local shops and sold her goods, replacing them with new merchandise. They split their money, and Oskar seemed less than impressed as he scowled at the gold in his hand.

"Yes, I know, I promised a small fortune," Gwen said hastily, "and I know this isn't it. Just hold out until we get to Stonewater. I can offload some of the more profitable stuff we've got."

"Stonewater?" Oskar raised a brow. “I was wondering why we didn’t head to Aynor, it was a lot closer to Fluffernutton.”

"Yes, it was closer, but it was the same size as Fluffernutton too. Stonewater is a proper port city. It’ll have a wider variety and it’s a better opportunity to turn a profit," Gwen said as she double-checked the contents of their bag of holding.

"What about an island?" Oskar said as he checked the tack on his horse. “Like Palmarae?”

"Islands are just a land of exorbitant prices. You get to charge a higher rate because it's harder to get to them but getting out to Palmarae Island would add another two days to our trip." Gwen did some quick assessments in her head. "I'm not sure if it's worth the trip."

"Ah, well, I have some personal business there." He turned to face her. "If we could put it on the way, I'll settle for just 1200 gold for the doubled pay on the Druvenlode job."

"Nonsense. I won't go back on my word; I'll get the 1800 for you. It wouldn't be a total waste to go to the island. Some things could be easier to sell off there." She stuck out her hand, and Oskar shook it.

"Thanks. I appreciate it." Oskar went to let go, but Gwen held tight.

"Are you going to tell me why you need all this gold?" The question had been a nagging voice in the back of her mind.

"It's part of my personal business on Palmarae." Oskar evaded Gwen's sharp gaze. After staring him down, she released his hand.

"Fine." She huffed. "Are we staying here for the night, or do you want to carry on down the road?"

"That choice is up to you." Oskar counted on his fingers then spoke again. "It'd take the rest of the day to make it to a halfway point, we'd end up camping."

"Alright, that sounds fine, we'll head out then." Gwen swung herself up onto the horse and waited for Oskar to mount before squeezing the beast and setting off at a light trot.

"So, you're getting ready to take over the family business I take it?" Oskar dug for conversation, there were no attacks to distract them today. The road lead northeast through rolling hills to the left and flat grassland to the east. With the open space there was less opportunity for anything to ambush them.

"No. I want my own business." Gwen's face tightened. "My father operates on the premise that everything is merchandise, even his daughters. We're a means to an end to make more coin. So I’d rather have my own money and business to take care of myself. My sisters seem happy enough to rely on our father and his match making."

"That sounds tough." Oskar swallowed hard. "I, uh, I didn't mean to pry, it's just, you seem well suited to the work."

"Thanks." Gwen blushed. "He never wanted me on the wagon trains, but I begged for three years solid, and he finally gave in, but made me swear to stop once I married."

"Oh, are you engaged then?" Oskar asked lightly.

"Yes." Gwen looked out at the horizon.

"Wait, and you, I, we-" Oskar spluttered.

"Yes, we did, and my father will now see me as damaged goods. My value to him has plummeted." She smiled with glee. "He'll never get the match he wants now."

"And that's good?" Oskar raised a brow.

"It is." Gwen's smile softened as she looked back at him. "It means I'll be free. I _am_ free, besides like I said my sisters are more than happy to marry into wealth."

Oskar watched with his mouth agape as she spread her arms out and rode ahead of him. The sun made her hair look like fire, and her skin glowed. He found himself blushing again and urging his horse on a little faster.

As the sun set, they built a fire off to the side of the road and laid out their bedrolls. Gwen removed the leather armour she had purchased and sighed, the weight of it was new but a welcome change. A life in fine silks and dresses wasn’t what she wanted. Her new breeches that had allowed her to ride more easily were her favourite change. She watched as Oskar stripped down to his cotton shirt and bit her lip.

"Is there something wrong?" Oskar approached, and Gwen reached out to his chest.

"Not at all." She smiled as he inhaled sharply. "Would you like to-"

Oskar flashed her a crooked smile as she trailed off and waggled her eyebrows at him. "Only if I get to show you what your first time should have been like."

"Ok," Gwen said as she ran her hands up his chest.

Oskar's gaze heated, and he grabbed her wrists and placed her hands on his shoulders before kissing her deeply. His hands roamed her body, and she let out a soft moan against his lips. Pulling back from the kiss, Oskar moved on to her ear, kissing and nibbling at it before trailing down to her collarbone. At the neckline of her shirt, he ran his hands under the hem and pushed it up over her breasts. Her fingers wove into his hair, and he sighed against her skin as he first teased one nipple and then the next with the same nibbling and kissing.

Gwen moaned as he roved lazily along her body. She was on fire, and his touch was so gentle it hurt. Her hips wiggled, and Gwen tried to pull his hands closer, to hurry his pace, but he seemed determined to draw this out. She felt like a meal being savoured as he began to unbuckle her breeches.

Oskar pushed them down and out of his way kneeling in front of Gwen. He pulled her foot up to rest on his knee, and he began his slow and reverent kissing at her knee and worked up to her inner thigh.

"Oskar," she breathed his name and leaned into his touch as his fingers caressed the wetness between her legs.

"Hush, I promise to be gentle this time." His husky voice reverberated against her skin, and she didn't have time to say anything more before his mouth was on her.

He licked and sucked at her, Gwen's knees started buckling, and she cried out as his fingers slid inside her while his tongue continued to tease her most sensitive places. She leaned on him, hunching over his bent form. Then the warmth of his mouth and hands left her, she moaned and grabbed him to pull him back to her body.

Oskar wiped his lips and licked his fingers clean. The sweet tang of her was enough to make his pants painful, but he wasn't going to stop so soon. He guided her down onto a bedroll and positioned himself over her. Gwen's chest heaved as she panted and dug her nails into his back.

"Please, Oskar, I can't take it..." She pleaded, and he felt his cock twitch in response.

He released himself from his trousers and rubbed the tip against her, moaning as she soaked him. Pressing gently at her entrance, he kissed her and let her taste herself on his lips. She was writhing beneath him now as he slipped into her, moving slowly.

Gwen moaned against his lips as he inched inside her. His hands held her as her back arched up towards him, and he moved the last inch to be fully seated inside her. He paused, his breathing ragged, and he groaned in sweet agony.

"You're something else, Gwen." He spoke against her lips before beginning to move in long slow, easy strokes inside her.

She squeezed around him, and he felt her as she fell over the edge twitching around his cock with her warmth and wetness. This encouraged him to pick up the pace, he hooked one of her legs up over his shoulder and pushed deeper as she stifled her screams of delight. He reached down with a hand to play with her clit as he plunged into her deeper and harder. She came around him again, and he pushed deep to share her climax and spill himself inside her.

The pair laid beside each other panting. Gwen rolled into Oskar, laying her head on his chest, he reached over and wrapped an arm around her grinning to himself.

"How was that?" He asked, still grinning.

"Mmm, good," Gwen whispered back, her own grin plastered on her face. "I think I want to be sure that I'll be free from my engagement, so more practice is required."

Oskar reached over and threw a blanket over them and pulled Gwen closer. "I think that can be arranged."


	4. The Barnacle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pair arrive in Stonewater, and need to arrange for a ship to take them to Palmarae. Luckily it seems Oskar knows his way around.

Stonewater appeared on the horizon by midday, and Oskar made his way to an inn to get their room set up and paid for. Gwen split off to sell the goods they had acquired from Bexeley and the items they hadn't been able to sell in Fluffernutton.

Oskar was halfway through his first tankard of ale when Gwen came stomping into the tavern. Her mouth was set in a scowl, and she slammed her hand on the table. "Hurry up and finish that, I need your help."

Her tone didn't leave room to argue, and he simply tipped his head back and shotgunned the rest of his ale. "What's wrong?"

"These merchants are greedier than dragons. I can't get a reasonable price out of them." She took off with long strides.

"I don't know much about trading; I don't think I'll be much help." Oskar threw some coppers on the table as he followed Gwen easily.

"You don't need to know how to trade. Just stand there and look muscular and intimidating." She snarled at him.

"I think I'm a little less scary than you are right now." Oskar laughed a little until Gwen turned on him with a sharp glare. He raised his hands in defence. "Point proven right there. If looks could kill."

Oskar complied her demands to be intimidating, standing behind Gwen as she went about her business. He stood tall with his sword clearly visible, and his arms crossed over his chest. She seemed to be in a better mood when they left the last store, smiling to herself with a heavy coin purse. Her tactics had been ruthless, and he was surprised she needed him. He smiled as they returned to their room at the inn, and she dumped the pile of gold and platinum pieces on the table.

"Well, I have the money I owe you now." She beamed at the pile of coins. "And enough to build stock to take to the island."

Oskar watched as she split the coin in a way that didn't look even at all. "That isn't half."

"No, it's what I owe you," Gwen said flatly.

"I thought we were splitting things evenly?" His face squirrelled up in confusion.

"No, this is the pay I promised you," Gwen said through clenched teeth. "So, you're going to take it. Then everything we make after this is an even split. That's the bonus."

"Oh, I see." Oskar pocketed the money quickly, and Gwen smiled again.

"There. Now we just need to arrange for a ship. Shall we head to the docks next?" She was already at the door, and Oskar found himself following without question.

"I think I know a guy." He gave her a knowing look and led the way to the docks.

The city was busy, and the cobble roads were filled with horse traffic. Oskar grasped Gwen's hand to lead her through some of the back alleyways and shortcuts in residential areas. There was a fair amount of greenery for a city. When she looked around, many of the houses were large and impressive this close to the city centre. They got smaller and shabbier as they got closer to the water. The smell of fish and salt assaulted her nose, and many of the people they passed wore torn and obviously mended clothing. Gwen frowned as they travelled through this less affluent area.

"I think I see his ship." Oskar declared as they made their way through the dockyard.

The ship was not entirely a ship as far as Gwen was concerned. The mast was held together with wood bracing around it, and the sails had several holes and large patches. The hull creaked as it bobbed in the harbour. Her mouth fell open, and she came to a dead stop making Oskar turn around and see her wide eyes.

"What? What's with the look?!" Oskar looked back at the ship and then at Gwen again.

"It's falling apart!!" She said quickly.

"Naah, it's just a little weathered. Seasoned if you will." As Oskar said that a pulley and rope clattered to the deck. "Palmarae isn't very far anyway."

"I swear if we sink, I'm holding you personally responsible." Gwen followed him the rest of the way to the gangplank.

"Ahoy, Captain!" Oskar called out to another burly half-orc.

"Oskar!!" The man called out with a broad smile of missing teeth and broken tusks. "Heading home, are you? Oh! And who's the little lady?"

"Gaug, this is Gwen, my employer and travelling partner." Oskar stepped quickly over the threshold onto the ship. "Gwen, this is Gaug, the finest Captain I've had the pleasure of sailing with."

"Charmed." Gwen picked her way onto the ship, testing her steps before committing to them. "Lovely, uh, ship?"

"Ahh, that she is," Gaug patted the rail, "The Barnacle is sturdier than she looks. She's been a reliable ship through hard times."

"I'm sure." Gwen was not sure at all, but she would try to be polite in the hopes that Oskar's friendship with Gaug meant deep discounts.

"Same price as always?" Oskar asked.

"Aye, three gold pieces there and three back." Gaug laughed. "We'll head out tomorrow if that's alright with you. I've got a good feeling about the weather tomorrow."

Gwen nearly fell over as the ship bounced, and her stomach flipped. Wagons were definitely safer. Something about the way the water stretched out left her chest tight and her skin clammy. Although, she couldn’t argue with the price, it was well below what most captains charged.

"Sure, we'll be ready by then, right, Gwen?" Oskar flashed her that roguish smile, and she managed to nod without frowning, her eyes still wide with horror.

They made their way back through town and stopped off at other stores and looked at stock along the way. Gwen pointed out prices that seemed fair at first glance until she explained how they had set those prices. Most of it went over Oskar's head, but he listened intently and asked questions occasionally.

As the streets got darker, they returned to the inn and retired up to their room with their supper. They ate in relative silence, and Gwen pushed her food around more than she actually put anything in her mouth. She was frowning at the chicken on her plate when Oskar grabbed her hand.

"It'll be alright. I know The Barnacle doesn't look like much, but it's not that beat up." Oskar gave her a gentle look.

"No, it's not that, well it's a little bit that." Gwen would be lying if she said she wasn't worried about the ship falling apart in a strong breeze. "It's just, you seem to really know the place, and Gaug mentioned going home. Is your family on Palmarae? Is that why you need all the money?"

There was a heaviness to the silence that followed, and Oskar let go of her hand. "Something like that."

"Will you," she paused, afraid to finish the question, "be staying there?"

"Oh? Getting attached?" Oskar waggled his brow at her, making her blush.

"No! That's not it all!" Gwen shoved her plate away and crossed her arms. "You just make travelling safer is all."

"That pout is a powerful weapon, Gwen." Oskar was still grinning, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"You're deflecting." She called him out.

"Yeah, I know." His smile faded quickly. "It's just complicated is all."

"Fine." She sighed. "Tell me when we get there then. It should be easier when I get to see your home village."

"Alright." Oskar grabbed their plates and set them outside their door for the inn staff to clear and crawled into bed with his clothes still on.

Gwen put out the candles in the room and curled up next to him, a hand on his shoulder.


	5. The Briny Ocean Toss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Barnacle sets off for Palmarae, but disaster awaits.

The ship rocked and creaked beneath Gwen's feet, and she clung to the rail. Out on the horizon, she could see only water, which would have been bad enough on its own. As it stood, there was a thick layer of black clouds closing in on them, and a wall of water falling like a curtain.

"I thought you had a good feeling about the weather!?" She screamed at Gaug as a wave tossed them up, and they rocketed down the other side. Seaspray soaked her face, and her hair was both frizzy and clinging to her face. She felt her stomach rise into her throat when they seemed to hang in a freefall towards the valley between waves.

"The sea is a cruel mistress!" Gaug replied a little too enthusiastically. "We'll get through it! The Barnacle hasn't let me down yet!"

"Yet!" She scoffed as her stomach lurched again with the weightless feeling at the crest of another massive wave as the rain started pummeling them.

The wood was groaning, and Oskar ran across the deck to follow the directions Gaug called out to the crew. They came down off the crest of another wave, and the bow of the ship disappeared, the entire vessel shimmied and shook as the water ran off the deck as it struggled to pop back onto the surface. It wasn't fast enough. The next wave pushed into the bow, and the water they had taken on drove them into it like a wall.

Things happened quickly after that. The wooden hull splintered apart, and water-filled Gwen's nose and mouth. She clawed at the dark water around her as cold seeped deep into her body. A hand grabbed onto her and hauled her in a direction she could only hope was up. Coughing and spluttering as her head broke the surface, she saw it was Oskar who had saved her.

They were tossed in the waves like ragdolls, but they held tight to one another, a flat piece of the wrecked ship came by, and they piled onto it. What felt like hours passed until the wind died, and the rain let up.

"Are you alright?!" Gwen yelled over the ringing in her ears.

"I'm fine, you?" Oskar was touching her to look for injury.

"Still alive," Gwen affirmed. Then her face went red, and she glared at Oskar before reaching down and splashing him with angry force. "You _idiot_! How could I let you talk me into getting on that death trap!?"

Oskar put his hands up to protect against the onslaught of water. "Hey, we'll be fine!"

"How do you figure that!?" Gwen yelled hysterically and then patted herself down and let out an anguished cry. "My bag! Our merchandise was in there!"

"At least we're not dead?" Oskar tried to defend, but he could see the tears welling up in her eyes. He sighed and reached out to a piece of wood that was floating by. It looked like a plank, and it would work as a paddle.

"My coin purse is missing too. So, we might as well be dead!" She flopped back and let the tears come in wracking sobs.

"We'll figure it out when we get to land." Oskar reached out to soothe her but was slapped away.

"You're paddling. I'm not helping, this is all your fault." She sulked as the tears slowed.

"Yes, I know." Oskar paddled steadily through the rest of the day.

As the light faded, the heat disappeared too. Gwen huddled in on herself and shivered. Oskar moved to wrap himself around her to conserve heat only to be batted away again. His shoulders slumped, and he huffed.

"You'll freeze." He stated.

"I'm still mad at you." She countered as if it was a valid argument.

"Be mad, but let me keep you alive." He reached out again, and this time she didn't push him away. He lifted her towards his chest, and goosebumps broke out on his skin as her icy body came into contact with him. "And _I'm_ the pig-headed one."

"Shut up." She grumbled as she snuggled into his warmth, and he continued to paddle around her. It was awkward and not as effective, but she didn't care.

Oskar worked through the night, following a bright star towards the horizon. Gwen didn't sleep, taking the opportunity to find new ways to call him an idiot. To his credit, Oskar didn't argue against it too much. Light broke over the horizon, and they still couldn't see land. As the sun rose high in the sky, the heat pressed in on them, and Oskar had to stop paddling.

"We might have survived the shipwreck, but this," Gwen held her arms out and gesturing to the vast expanse of water around them, "this might just kill us."

"I'm sorry, Gwen." Oskar's voice was soft and hoarse.

"Why was it so important to get to Palmarae?" Gwen asked. "We may never get there, so tell me."

"It's where I was born." Oskar closed his eyes against the light as they laid down on their raft of debris. "There used to be a small settlement of orcs in the middle of the island, and there was a human town nearby, Minerva. After a bad season of storms, they decided to pool resources, and eventually, we all became like family and everyone moved to Minerva."

"That sounds like a nice way to grow up," Gwen said softly.

"It was. Then a couple years ago, a group showed up spouting nonsense about their fiendish lord; we tried to run them off the island." Oskar's voice shook with anger. "They pulled the men away from the women and children and offered us up to their lord. The demon gave us a choice to serve or die. I lost a lot of family that day."

"I'm so sorry." Gwen sat up and touched him on the arm. "So, you're serving this demon then?"

"Yeah, me and a handful of others." Oskar grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently. "The cult demands tribute in the form of gold. We pay them, and they spare the rest of our people. The demon wants souls sacrificed to him."

"Souls?" Gwen swallowed hard, and ice filled her chest as she held her breath.

"Yes, my sword was enchanted to steal the souls of creatures I killed and deliver them to my patron. In exchange, he gave me greater power to destroy life." He tightened his grip on her hand. "I just wanted to pay off the cult for another year of safety for my family."

"That's very noble of you." Gwen relaxed and ran her free hand through his hair. "I'm sorry for being so angry at you. I can see why you would want to save money on the trip to the island."

"It's alright. I was a colossally pig-headed moronic idiot about it." Oskar cracked a smile, and Gwen smacked his shoulder playfully.

"Well, that just means we can't die." She affirmed. "We need to get to Palmarae, find these bastards and kill them."

"What?" Oskar sat up quickly and stared at Gwen, his mouth open and flapping like a fish.

"Well, it's the easiest answer, isn't it?" She cocked her head to the side with a blank look on her face. "The biggest issue is this cult, right? So, we kill them, and then you can travel with me and kill all you need to keep this demon happy."

"Gwen, you're not serious." Oskar grabbed her by the shoulders. "They'll kill us!"

"We've cheated death so far." Gwen extracted herself from his grip and picked up the makeshift paddle. "If we can make it to Palmarae, let's cheat it again. I tricked you into giving me my freedom from obligation, so I'll pay you back by fighting to set you free too."

"Gwen," Oskar whispered her name as he stared at her.

"What, what's with the look?" Gwen blushed and looked out at the horizon as she paddled.

"That's the wrong way," Oskar said flatly.

The colour on Gwen's face deepened and spread to her ears. Oskar laughed and slipped into the water, kicking to provide more power. He changed the raft's direction and smiled up at her even as he started to breathe harder. "Let's do it."

The water broke in the distance and Gwen cried at the sight of the island rising above the waves. She jumped off the raft and swam once they got closer. She ran onto the beach and threw herself on the sand. Laughing, she hugged the palm trees and even kissed them.

"Proper boat on the way back. I don't care if it bankrupts us." Gwen shot Oskar a sour look.

"Yes, yes. First, we need coin to be bankrupt." Oskar started piling driftwood and collecting coconut.

"Don't remind me how broke we are," Gwen groaned and sat in the sand. "But, I have been mulling that over. There's another town here, right?"

"Yes, it's on the southeast coast. Seabring." He stacked the wood and then stuck long sticks in the sand around it.

"I'm going to say it has a tavern that might attract an unsavoury sort of crowd." Gwen looked over at his strange arrangement of wood. "What are you doing?"

"We're near a freshwater pond. We should wash the salt off our clothes and our bodies. We'll need to dry the clothes, so we don't freeze again." It all seemed so logical when he said it like that.

"Sure, but what I'm saying is, we go to Seabring and then I need you to make a distraction. I'll get our hands on some gold." Gwen smirked at her plan, but Oskar had sighed and slumped his shoulders before walking over and picking her up. "Woah! What are you doing now?!"

"Keep the planning to the immediate. We're a full day's walk to the town, we need to eat, get warm, and rehydrate." He supported her weight effortlessly. "For someone so smart, you overlook the obvious a lot."

"You think I'm smart?" Gwen gave him a goofy smile that faded quickly. "Wait, you called me dense too?!"

Oskar laughed as he carried her a short distance into the jungle. The pond had a small trickling waterfall at one end, and the water was clear and sparkled in the dappled light. Oskar put Gwen down, and they both drank from the pool before sinking into the water. He started to remove his clothing and rinse the water through it, Gwen watched him for a bit before she dunked her head in the water. She was glad to get the salt out of her hair.

As she came up out of the water, Oskar moved closer, and the water glistened on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and leaned down to kiss her forehead. Gwen put her hands on both sides of his face.

"What brought that on?" She searched his face for the answer.

"I thought we were both going to die, it made me think I didn't want to go yet." Oskar held her closer and laid his cheek on the top of her head in a hug. "I want to get to know more about you and travel and fight and do so much more."

"That's dumb." Gwen snaked her arms around his chest. "Of course, we're going to do all that."

She stood there as he trembled around her, and she rubbed his back gently. He sniffed after a minute and then broke away suddenly and splashed water over his face. "Sorry about that."

"About what? It's been stressful lately, it's good to get it out." Gwen smiled brightly before she started stripping her own clothes off. Oskar turned his back on her and blushed. "What, you've definitely seen it all before."

Gwen made her way through the water and hugged him from behind, running her hands up the front of his chest. He shuddered under her touch, and she smiled to herself before she kissed his shoulder and spoke against his skin. "We didn't die, so let's live a little."

Oskar didn't seem to need much more in the way of encouragement. Turning around, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her deeply before letting his hands snake down her wet body. Gwen's eyes closed as she luxuriated in his usual worshipping of her curves with his hands. She let her own hands wander his body, her fingertips tracing the contours of his muscles. Gwen took her time and was emboldened by his moans as she moved her hands lower.

She sucked in a sharp breath as she wrapped her hand around his hard length, amazed that he had fit inside her. Gwen moved her hands around him in exploratory grasps and gentle touches. Soon Oskar was panting under her ministrations, and Gwen smiled up at him.

Oskar reached his breaking point and picked her up in the water. He wrapped her legs around his waist, propping her against the edge of the waterfall. He pulled back and plunged into her. Instead of the usual slow start, he began a furious pounding rhythm. Gwen couldn't stifle her cries as she came around him. His mouth was firmly clamped on one of her nipples, and when he bit her and slammed into her depths twitching with his release, she hard and fast.

"Gods above Gwen, I'm weak for you," Oskar whispered in a husky voice in her ear.

"My father would be thoroughly horrified." She kissed him tenderly. "But, he's an ass, so I don't care. I'm weak for you too, Oskar."

When they returned to their woodpile and coconut hoard, Gwen hung their wet clothing, and Oskar whispered some words while motioning with a hand. A bonfire sprung out of nowhere and set the wood on fire. It was a warm fire, and they sat together on the beach, watching the ocean and relaxing.


	6. Into the Caves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gwen and Oskar find a request to hunt some goblins to fill their empty pockets.

After a hearty meal of coconuts and water with no salt, Gwen felt refreshed, aside from the sand that clung to every part of her and found its way into cracks and crevices she didn't know she had. She groaned as she tried to brush it away but only succeeded in spreading it around.

"Come on, the sooner we get going, the sooner we can have a proper bath." Oskar was ahead of her down the beach, and she grumbled under her breath as she followed him.

"Can we _not_ do the beach again anytime soon?" She complained.

"What if we did it better? With chairs and proper amenities." Oskar laughed.

"Nope. Not a chance. I have sand _everywhere._ " Gwen ranted.

"I'll have to do a thorough inspection when we bathe to make sure you are clean and comfortable for bed tonight." Oskar gave her a smoky look over his shoulder, and she blushed.

After what felt like years walking through the sand, Seabring came into view, and Gwen screeched with joy and ran to grab a handful of dirt from the jungle floor. She split the soil into both hands and touched herself and Oskar.

"Walk on." The dirt glowed a little and then disappeared. "There. We'll make better time this way."

Oskar felt lighter and faster, and the pair arrived quickly in Seabring. The small town had more to offer than Gwen had imagined. Whitewashed buildings lined a main street of cobblestone. Off the main street were residential areas full of colourful houses that lined the winding roads. There were a few well to do people out walking in the early evening. Gwen bumped into a few of them, and suddenly they had a few coins to spend for the night.

"Gwen, where'd that come from?" Oskar asked quietly as they entered the inn.

"Don't worry about it." She whispered back.

“I’m still going to worry about it, that wasn’t ours.” He admonished in a whisper as they approached the innkeeper.

Gwen handed off a couple of gold pieces to the innkeeper, who seemed to know Oskar and gave them a small discount on the food and baths. Looking at Oskar, she knew she must not be in much better shape. They were sunburnt, covered in sand, and her hair was a mess of auburn waves that looked like they were in the middle of a hurricane.

"You should check over at The Vestiment, I think it'll still be open." The innkeeper commented before they could head to their room. "They had a pretty good spread of discounted clothing. You two look like you went through the wringer."

The pair took the hint, and Oskar led the way to The Vestiment, where they could get some new clothing. Gwen picked out some supple leather breeches, and new boots to match. A fresh cream chemise and green bodice rounded out the outfit. Oskar stuck with a simple white shirt and loose brown pants with new boots.

"This feels fantastic, and the price was great!" Gwen held the fabric of the shirt between her fingers. "I can't wait to get clean and put it on!"

“Gwen, I don’t want to have to steal to get by.” Oskar frowned at her.

“Trust me, I reached into that coin purse and it was real deep.” Gwen assured him. “I only took what I knew they wouldn’t miss and what we need to survive and get back on our feet.”

“Alright, but maybe we keep that to a minimum?” Oskar studied her face as she sighed and relented.

“Ok, just the minimum to survive.” Gwen agreed reluctantly. “Which includes a bath.”

Oskar grunted in agreement and getting clean was the priority when they arrived back at the inn with their parcels. They scrubbed and soaked until the sand was washed away and then, clothed in robes provided by the inn, they ate their supper and passed out in the bed.

Gwen groaned as Oskar stirred next to her in the morning. He kissed her lips gently and shook her a little. "Come on, we need to get to planning and making some money. You lost your weapons in the wreck, right?"

"Five more minutes." Gwen pleaded and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head into her bosom. Oskar seemed to relax and then stiffen as he pried himself out of her grasp.

"Nope, come on. We have things to do." He was met with another incoherent groan and mumbling about how comfortable the bed was before Gwen finally sat up.

"Alright, fine, I'm up." She blinked and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Anyone ever tell you you're too happy in the morning?"

"I learned from the best." Oskar laughed at the jab and kissed her forehead. "Let's go."

They changed into their new clothes and went down into the tavern, which was already busy. The innkeeper commented about them not looking like the same people he checked in yesterday, and Gwen gave him a dangerous look. He chuckled at her and called for breakfast to be brought out for them.

"So, what's the plan?" Oskar asked between bites of egg and sausage.

"Remember the arm wrestling back in Stonewater?" Gwen started as she dug into her own plate. "We'll do that to start, but I need you to make a bit more of a distraction."

"Like what?" Oskar looked up and reached for the tankard of water.

"Use your imagination." Gwen looked around the tavern. "We'll just do the arm wrestling right now, and then we'll do the bigger job tonight when it's busier."

Oskar made a few gold pieces with the arm wrestling that morning, and they were able to buy a dagger for Gwen. Asking around, they found out about a bounty for a new nest of goblins that had been washed up in a previous storm and were killing local livestock.

"If I remember correctly, I'm at 11 goblins, and you're at 9." Gwen teased.

"I'll catch up. You've only got a wimpy dagger." Oskar laughed.

"I'd have better equipment, and we wouldn't need to do this if we had the money we made in Stonewater." It was a petty dig, but Gwen couldn't help herself.

"Fair point, ready to go?" Oskar shook off the dig and tightened his belt.

"Ready." Gwen checked the small pouch of components she had been able to buy. They wouldn't go very far, but it couldn't be helped.

They set out into the jungle, and Gwen picked up the trail of the goblins quickly and dove deeper into the trees. When they found the mouth of a cave guarded by two goblins Gwen snuck around, and Oskar charged in. His eldritch blast slammed into one of the goblins, and Gwen struck from behind to kill the other one. Both fell quietly enough, and Gwen and Oskar nodded to each other before entering the cave.

They cut a bloody swath through the small horde of goblins that had settled on the island and obviously started multiplying. Gwen was up to 22, and Oskar was gleefully ahead with 25 goblins killed. As Gwen pulled her dagger out of lucky number 23, she relaxed.

"I think that was the last one." She sighed and cleaned her blade.

"I was not expecting to deal with that many." Oskar came over to collect the left ear of the last goblin.

"Something feels weird here..." Gwen trailed off, and they heard a bellow as a hobgoblin barreled out of the darkness at her. It swung a club down hard on Gwen's shoulder, and she yelped in pain.

Oskar surged forward and slashed with his sword, the hobgoblin snarled as the steel cut into its side. Oskar grabbed Gwen, still reeling from the hit and dragged her back and away from immediate danger.

"You good?" Oskar asked while taking up a defensive stance to face the tall creature.

"Yeah, he startled me more than injured." She swung her arm around experimentally and then took up her place next to Oskar.

"Alright, let's kill this bastard." Oskar smiled.

The hobgoblin came in for another overhand attack and was blocked by Oskar's blade, Gwen darted into the opening with her dagger and sunk it into the beast's abdomen. The hobgoblin's howl of pain filled the cave, but Oskar and Gwen kept the pressure on, and Gwen held out her open hand and spoke a few words under her breath. A ghostly hand appeared and grasped the hobgoblin who screamed again. Oskar took the chance to deal the final blow taking its head clean off.

"Ok, _that_ was the last one." Gwen winced and grabbed at her shoulder.

"I thought you said you were fine?" Oskar sheathed his blade and came over to inspect her shoulder.

"I'll live." She shrugged it off and gestured to the head on the ground. "Ear, or should we just bring the whole head?"

Before they left with their haul of 27 goblin ears and the hobgoblin head, Oskar insisted on putting Gwen's injured arm in a sling. They returned to town to collect their reward. Gwen weighed the bag of gold in her hand and grinned from ear to ear.

"Maybe this is more profitable than trading." She tossed the bag in the air and caught it again with her good hand.

"It's more dangerous." Oskar scowled.

"Don't be a killjoy. We'll go see the local cleric, and I'll be good as new." Gwen sauntered ahead of Oskar to the town's temple.

They returned to the tavern with a newly healed arm and a small fortune in goblin killing money. Gwen convinced Oskar to set their second plan for money-making into action, arguing that they would need more to stock up on proper supplies and equipment. Oskar thought for a minute about what might be a good distraction and finally settled on a brawl, that was really the only thing he had thought to begin with. Gwen advised they go about it without being the instigators if he could manage that.

Oskar came up with a clever solution, and Gwen was impressed when he used a spectral hand to spill a drink on a large tattooed sailor. This caused an argument that quickly broke down into a fistfight, which snowballed into someone using a chair as a weapon. Soon the entire tavern was wailing on each other.

Gwen wove between pairs of brawlers and made it look like she was simply avoiding the fight, but her hands were busy at work. She plucked coins and purses from distracted fighters, and Oskar was splitting the sea of people with blood running from his nose. Gwen figured someone must have hit him, and she giggled as she watched him take out the anger on anyone within his reach.

They slipped away upstairs before the guards came to break up the fight, and Gwen emptied all the purses and began counting their gold. Oskar watched as she did quick sums and piled the money deftly.

"You're beautiful when you do that." He seemed to startle himself with the comment.

"What?" Gwen blushed and looked up from her work. "What do you mean?"

"You're so focused, and you get this cute crinkle in your brow when you concentrate." Oskar's face got hot, and he walked to the door. "I'll, uh, I'll go grab our supper."

Before she could say anything else, Oskar left the room. She smiled to herself and refocused on the sums. After some quick calculating, she figured they had enough to buy the supplies they would need to take on the cult.


	7. Minerva

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The duo makes their move to free Oskar's people.

Oskar walked with Gwen to the blacksmith. They greeted the smith, and Gwen went to look for a blade and chose a new rapier. This one had a better balance than her last one, and the length was comfortable, she also picked out a new shortbow and stock of arrows. After telling the smith, they were headed inland to take on the cult; he cut them a deal on the weapons and brought out armour options.

With their new equipment in hand, they moved on to potions and components. There was one small apothecary with a single alchemist in town. Gwen expected to pay inflated prices, but the old man demanded a fair price, and she couldn't argue with it. He wished them luck with their task.

Back at the inn, they changed, and Oskar drew out a map of the town of Minerva. He outlined where guards were typically found and pointed out parts that could provide cover. They argued over the best approach and finally decided Oskar would go in with the gold like he usually would, and Gwen would launch a sneak attack from the surrounding jungle.

With everything decided, they left town and travelled northeast towards the centre of the island. Oskar carried their bedrolls, and Gwen had rations for ten days. They would be hiking through thick jungle for the rest of the day, setting up camp and arriving at Minerva the next day.

"Those people don't much care for that cult, do they?" It was an obvious statement, but Gwen was still marvelling at the discounts they had received.

"Well, there's always the thought that their town could be next," Oskar grunted as he cleaved through vegetation to cut their path.

"Is there no road?" Gwen panted in the heat of the day as Oskar pushed more vines away, sweat running down the back of his neck in the humidity.

"Nope," Oskar grunted. "Since our village was taken over two years ago, no one's used the roads."

"How do they survive?" Gwen gaped.

"The village is pretty self-sufficient." Oskar took a swig from a waterskin and went back to hacking at the leafy plants. It was slow going through the heavy brush, and Oskar pointed out some spiders along the way that were venomous. This did nothing to help set Gwen at ease in the thick cover. He went on to try and explain that the animals on the island kept to themselves unless they were provoked. Gwen explained that she didn’t much care, they were still creepy.

It got dark quickly under the canopy of broad leafed trees. They stopped in a small clearing it looked like it had been used as a camp sporadically in the past. Oskar set up a fire while Gwen got the food out. They ate in silence, and Oskar stared into the fire his brow furrowed and an intense look in his eyes. Gwen stood and walked over to him, sitting in his lap and hugged him.

"What's this?" Oskar was startled out of his brooding and wrapped his arms around her.

"You looked tense...I can just go to bed if you don't want-" She was cut off as he tightened his grip on her.

"No, this is good." Oskar buried his face in her neck and breathed deeply. "I just don't want this to wrong. I don't want you hurt, and I don't want to lose the rest of my family."

"I don't want to see you hurt either, so we'll both just have to be in good form tomorrow." Gwen ran her fingers through his hair.

"I don't know if that'll be enough, Gwen," Oskar's voice shook. "They took out all the men in the village last time, that wasn't a small task, our men were strong."

"And now you're stronger, and you've got me." Gwen kissed his neck softly.

“I’m not sure if even you’re enough of an advantage,” he half teased.

“I’m one hell of an advantage. I’ll pick them off from a distance and by the time they figure it out it’ll be too late.” Gwen mimed shooting her bow. “We can do it.”

“I hope you’re right.” Oskar answered back burying his face in her neck he curled around her protectively.

They embraced tightly through the night until the sun and a gentle breeze woke them. Gwen stretched out and leaned in to kiss a groggy Oskar. They cleaned up the camp and continued the grueling journey through the jungle until the ground became rocky, and the trees became sparse.

"See you when we're done." Gwen's face was tight.

"Yeah," Oskar replied absently.

Gwen made her way around and up an outcropping as Oskar lumbered towards a makeshift wall with a gate and two guards. She couldn't hear them from her perch, but she strung her bow while watching for trouble. Gwen was impressed as what she could see from atop the rocks seemed to look almost exactly like the map that Oskar had shown her. There was a large tent in the middle of town with houses arranged around it and a large flat round stone in front of it. There wasn’t much in the way of cover and hiding bodies was going to be difficult.

The gate closed behind Oskar, and she took aim at the cultists from behind a bramble. The string twanged in quick succession as she hit her mark, and the guards fell. She moved along the ridge and kept an eye on Oskar as he went through the village. He seemed to be doing well, so she knocked another arrow and looked for opportunities to take out more of the enemy. She needed to follow through on reducing their numbers before they launched a primary attack.

Oskar walked through the village and scowled at how the cultists treated his people like slaves. Worse than that, some of the houses were falling apart. He knew it would take a long time to bring the village back even if they did succeed today. He was led to the middle of the town where a large stone slab had runes carved into it, they walked around the edge of the circle and into the tent behind it.

"Aah, Oskar!" The old man exclaimed and then tapped the altar in front of him. "I trust you have the tribute."

"Razmandius." Oskar greeted the old man through gritted teeth and tossed the coin on the altar. “I have it.”

Gwen had clambered down off her ledge after taking out three more cultists through open windows. Putting her bow away, she pulled out her dagger and took a steadying breath as she entered through the gate passing the guards' bodies. She stayed low and waited for cultists to come around corners and ambush them. According to Oskar, the last time he had been here there had been a consistent group followers of the High Priest Razmandius they had peeked at 25 or less and Gwen kept a mental note on the number of bodies she was leaving in her wake.

The old man’s crooked fingers counted the coins and he grinned like a gleeful child. Oskar’s hand rested on the pommel of his sword, gripping it tightly as he clenched his jaw. Suddenly the quiet of the camp was broken by an alarm.

"Shit..." Oskar whispered under his breath as he heard an explosion somewhere in the town.

He rushed out of the tent alongside the other cultists finding Gwen with her rapier and dagger out, six people in dark robes were sprawled on the ground around her. Oskar rushed to her side, cutting through the few cultists that were approaching her ahead of him.

"Sorry, I didn't get as many as I wanted, someone must have found a body." Gwen drove her dagger deep into a chest, and Oskar delivered the final blow.

"It's fine, I was reaching my limit with these greasy weasels." He snarled and let fly a dark blast of energy. “How many do you figure you got?”

“12.” Gwen said as she threw a handful of thorns out towards the road that approached their backs. She muttered a few words and then turned back to the fray.

“That’s a good start. Let’s finish it.” Oskar grinned. “I need to catch up.”

The cultists were in disarray but quickly reorganized themselves and began fighting back with magic of their own. Gwen took a blast of energy to her left leg and stumbled. She dusted off the dark mark that had scorched her armour and staggered back to standing. Gwen uttered a quiet thanks to the blacksmith who had suggested more than just the chest piece she had been looking at before they left.

"I think this is going well." Gwen wheezed as she took another hit to the chest, trying to get her wind back.

"I think this is going terribly, you run, and I'll hold them off." Oskar stood between her and another sword, blood was running from slashes on his arms and his lip was swelling. Razmandius positioned himself at the head of the stone circle with his arms raised high while he chanted and swayed. 

"I'm staying, you idiot. Besides, there’s nowhere to run." Gwen groaned as she adjusted the grip on her dagger and sent it flying at another enemy who slumped to the ground. She gestured to the stone circle. "That doesn't look good."

"It doesn't, does it." The group that had surrounded them thinned out and enemies that were approaching them from behind on the street howled in pain as spikes drove into them from the ground.

"That should buy some time, go get him." Gwen urged Oskar on and turned to face the ones that would make it through the spiked growth in their way.

Oskar charged towards the circle when the old man stopped chanting and started to laugh. A dark sphere formed, and Oskar raised his sword in defence. The man's hood fell as he set his sights on Gwen, a broad smile revealing crooked yellow teeth. Oskar realized too slowly what Razmandius was planning. A strangled cry instead of the warning he wanted to yell escaped him.

Gwen fell alongside the cultists that had been too close as a sphere of dark energy swirled around them and erupted into flames that engulfed a wide swath of the road. She screamed, and Oskar let out a mighty war cry as he charged across the runes towards his target, taking the shortest route to his target. He lost all sense of self preservation in the moment and his blood ran hot with fury. The runes glowed, and Oskar felt something cold wash over him. His body was pulled into the air as he was pushed to the back of his own mind.

"My faithful children." A voice that was not his own spoke, and the remaining cult members prostrated themselves.

"Our dark lord! We bow to your greatness!" Oskar watched as whatever was in his body, held his hand out and felt his face curl into a snarl.

"You dare to pretend to serve me?" The voice boomed from Oskar's body, the cultists started crying out, but the demon within him silenced them with a roar that sent birds flocking to the sky. "Razmandius, you and your disciples sit here in your tents, counting your gold, and growing fat. You are no longer worthy."

“My lord! We keep your swords motivated!” Razmandius was visibly sweating as he argued with the demon that possessed Oskar’s body. “We are doing our best to-”

“Ha!” The demon cut the High Priest off. “That makes this easy then, I simply have to motivate them properly? Now prepare yourselves for your ultimate service!”

The cultists gripped their throats as the air was pulled from their lungs, and they fell with those words. Tendrils of what looked like smoke rose from their bodies and gathered around Oskar’s floating form. He felt the chill run through him as the demon sighed in satisfaction. Oskar fought to gain back control of his body as the demon looked at Gwen's crumpled form.

"What price would you pay to bring her back?" The demon's voice slithered through Oskar's mind.

"Anything, everything," Oskar answered without hesitation, he had a feeling he knew what the demon would use to motivate him.

A deep rumbling laugh boomed around Oskar. "Yes, you are a faithful servant. If she is beyond saving, will you still kill for me?"

"No." Again, Oskar's reply was quick.

"Very well." The demon let a tendril of bright light snake around Gwen's lifeless form. "You shall be bound together. So long as she lives, so shall you, and you will continue to send souls to me. Keep her safe and you both may yet live forever."

"Yes, my lord." Oskar couldn't prostrate himself, but relief washed over him in equal parts with guilt.

"I will sustain her life so long as is my whim. Wander this world, my child, and send me tasty morsels." The demon’s laugh grew quieter in his mind as he felt control over his body returning to him.

The runes faded, and Oskar fell to the ground. He scrambled up to his feet and ran to Gwen as the villagers poked their heads from their hiding places. Cradling Gwen in his arms, he felt bile rise in the back of his throat. Something told him that he had agreed to a terrible deal again, but as he watched Gwen's chest rise and fall steadily, tears fell from his eyes.

"What the hell happened?" Gwen groaned as her eyes flickered open.

"I made a deal," Oskar said sheepishly, avoiding eye contact.

"What," Gwen sat up with disgruntled noise, "what kind of deal?"

"I think we're functionally immortal?" Oskar said shakily.

"We're what?" Gwen debated the effectiveness of slapping Oskar.

"Well, we can be killed, but only if you die." Oskar explained the interaction with his fiendish patron and how he had phrased his 'gift.'

Meanwhile, the villagers were starting to crowd around the two. They murmured and looked at each other with beleaguered faces. Gwen gave Oskar an icy look, as she spoke. "We'll talk about this later."


	8. The Road Ahead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gwen and Oskar discuss how to rebuild the village, and look to the roads ahead of them.

They met with the village elder, Vinali, to talk about the future of their village. Gwen stayed mostly quiet through the meeting, letting Oskar speak with his people.

“The farms are a mess, our fields aren’t producing as well as they should, and the animals have been severely reduced.” Vinali explained. “Those bastards lived in excess, they would have starved us out if we had to go another year.”

“Do you have enough labour to spare to rebuild the road to Seabring?” Oskar asked as he glanced at Gwen’s deepening scowl. “They seemed like generous people there and they would be willing to help you out while I’m gone.”

Gwen was noticing a trend of growing expenses that the village was going to need to cover. There were things that they hadn’t even touched on and she could hear the concern in Oskar’s voice, knowing that he would need to leave again. Gwen worried her lip and worked the math in her head as she listed out the growing number of problems, tuning out the people talking around her.

“Gwen?” Oskar’s voice cut through her thoughts and he grabbed her hand gently. “You’ve got that crinkle in your forehead, what are you thinking about?”

"We can help with funding." She interjected. "We have business to attend to on the main continent, and Oskar's been sending money back here before already."

"Business?" Vinali raised an eyebrow and chuckled, making the two blush. “Well, it’s good to see my grandson has found himself a woman with sense, even if you do look a little thin.”

Gwen looked from the old woman to Oskar who shrugged casually. She raised an eyebrow and invited Oskar to explain himself. “Grandson, huh? How long were you going to go without letting me know that one?”

Vinali cackled as Oskar blushed under Gwen’s gaze. “Ah, I should explain. All the people of this village are like my children and grandchildren. He forgets the important details from time to time, please forgive him that fault.”

“I’m sure I’ll learn to live with it.” Gwen sighed. “But we won’t be able to help with the rebuilding, but we can send gold back, and hire labour and send materials to the island for you.”

“How do you intend to finance this?” Vinali leaned forward with a twinkle in her eye.

"We were considering a career in adventuring." Oskar cleared his throat. "Protecting places from monsters pays well enough."

"We could even set up trips to come back and visit," Gwen suggested, and Oskar nodded.

"Use the gold I brought this time to get started." Oskar offered.

“Nonsense, you’ll have expenses to cover on your way back to the mainland.” Vinali argued.

“It’s fine, we’ll manage. We washed up without two coppers to rub together.” Oskar countered, and Gwen sighed.

“I see where he get’s it from now.” Gwen smiled softly at the pair. “We’ll take what we need to get us to Stonewater and purchase supplies to travel with, but you keep the majority of it to get started on the most pressing tasks.”

“Very well. That will work.” Vinali nodded to Gwen, and Oskar agreed too.

After their talks were done, Oskar and Gwen retired in one of the houses together. Gwen rounded on Oskar and jabbed a finger in his chest. "You colossal, moronic, sweet idiot!"

"You think I'm sweet?" Oskar gave her a joyous smile, he already knew he could be an idiot sometimes.

"Of course I do, you saved me, again, albeit in the stupidest way possible!" She started pacing in the room. "So if you keep me alive, you have to keep killing? I don’t really know how to feel about that…it doesn't sound like an ideal arrangement, does it?"

"Not really," Oskar winced and then closed the gap between them to pull her into his chest. "But I couldn't lose you, that wasn't an option."

"Oh." Gwen snuggled into his warmth. "But, are you ok with that much killing?"

"For you, I would destroy the world." He held her tighter. "Besides, goblins count, and I need to keep my lead."

Gwen chuckled and sighed. "If we get tired of it or each other, we can choose to stop, right?"

"How could I survive on my own without you telling me when exactly I’m being a pig-headed idiot?" Oskar laughed and picked her up.

They flopped into bed and let the stress of the day melt away. The next day they led a group of villagers from Minerva to Seabring, cutting a wider path in preparation for a new road. Their contingent loaded up on supplies for the reconstruction and headed back after seeing Oskar and Gwen to the docks.

The pair boarded a large, sturdy ship of Gwen's choosing and settled in for the return trip to Stonewater. The seas were calm, but Gwen was still on edge, and she clung to the rail while watching the clouds for any shifting weather.

"Maybe we won't visit too often. You don't seem to do well on the water." Oskar smiled, looking over the horizon and leaning on the rails of the deck.

"I'll get used to it. So long as we never get on a boat that resembles The Barnacle ever again." Gwen grumbled.

Oskar stayed on the deck with her the rest of the way to Stonewater. The ship came into the harbour without incident, and Gwen hurried to get back on dry land. She sighed in relief as her feet felt solid ground again.

"Ahoy, Mistress Gwen!" A familiar voice called out, and Gwen flashed a horrified look to Oskar, who was beaming. She turned to see Gaug running down the docks to them. "Thought you two were goners for sure!"

"I could say the same for you, Gaug!" Oskar clasped hands with his friend. “How’s the crew?”

"It'll take more than that to take us out of this world! We all washed up on the coast to the east." Gaug looked pleased with himself. "So what happened with you two? We looked up and down the coast for two days looking for you."

Gaug followed them back to the tavern as Oskar regaled him with their exploits on Palmarae, leaving out the key details of their ordeal with the demon. Gaug seemed enthralled with what had happened and slapped the pair on the back. Gwen spluttered in surprise, she had been avoiding the conversation, she didn’t want anything else to do with Gaug.

"Well, sounds like you two need a drink," he laughed. "First round’s on me!"

The three of them drank into the night, and Gaug explained that his crew was already setting up a new ship, The Barnacle II. Gwen couldn't hide her horror as Gaug invited them on the maiden voyage, Oskar declined for them as he chuckled at Gwen.

“Well then you must have a plan, where to next?” Gaug asked, and the pair looked at each other.

"We're not sure," Gwen answered. In all their haste to get back to the mainland and plan the reconstruction of Minerva they hadn't discussed anything beyond getting back to Stonewater.

"Well, I heard there's been a problem with necromancers to the north through Firda's Gate." Gaug had lowered his voice. "Strange things happening there."

"Maybe we'll look into that," Oskar said, glancing at Gwen.

“Men are going missing, some of ‘em turn up as spectres.” Gaug shuddered and swigged from his tankard. “No thank you, I will take my chances with the ocean.”

“You almost died within recent memory on the ocean.” Gwen reminded him.

“Well sure, but at least I wasn’t going to be brought back as a servant of some terrible evil.” Gaug eyed her seriously.

“That does sound like it would be terrible.” Gwen considered his words and they hit a little too close to home. Wasn’t that what happened to her? Thinking on it a bit more she concluded that there was no _real_ proof that this demon was evil. It was the cult that worshipped him that had been evil and the demon had wiped them all out. Then there was the question of being controlled and she could honestly say she was still capable of making her own choices. The only part that didn’t sit well with her was that she _was_ being used. She could think about all this later, after all she and Oskar had nothing but time now. It was getting hard to think with the racket Gaug and Oskar were making as they started singing shanties loudly and off key.

The three spent the rest of the night drinking, singing, and playing card games. The next day, Gwen and Oskar wandered the city and bought new horses and supplies before returning to the inn with a map to plot their course.

"We could go and see your family, I don't know if we'll be back this far south anytime soon." Oskar offered as they plotted their route north towards the road that led through Firda’s Gate between the tallest mountains in the Ah’shyl Range.

"No, I think I might be better off letting them think I'm dead. Besides, my father is likely on the road with his wagon trains by now." Gwen shoved ration packs into her backpack and double-counted the remaining gold they had from Palmarae.

"This might be our last time in a comfortable bed for a while," Oskar said, coming up behind her bent form.

Gwen stood and leaned into him, guiding his hands up her body. "Maybe we should make the most of it?"

Oskar kissed her neck as he ripped open her bodice and pinched her nipples between his fingers. Gwen cried out, and Oskar turned her to face him, capturing her lips in a deep kiss. She panted as he overtook her and threw her onto the bed, tearing his own clothes off he overwhelmed her with the heat of his body pressing down on her. His hands and mouth moved with an urgency she didn't understand.

"Oskar!" She cried out his name.

"Oh, Gwen," he whispered her name like a prayer against her skin.

He pressed on, and he pressed his fingers against her clit, encouraging the moisture to gather there. He roared as she dug her nails into his shoulders while he began to pump his fingers in and out of her ferociously. Gwen's back came up off the bed as his mouth wrapped around her nipple again, and he bit her hard.

He pulled his fingers free from her warm depths and licked them clean as Gwen blushed and panted beneath him. She didn't have time to catch her breath as he grabbed one of her legs and pushed it up over his shoulder and ploughed into her. He moaned as her wet walls welcomed his length, and her pleasured cries got louder.

It was a punishing pace, and he came hard and fast inside her. Gwen's eyes were wide as she stared up at Oskar's face gleaming with sweat. She reached up and kissed him tenderly.

"What was that all about?" She whispered in their afterglow, as he settled next to her and cuddled her gently.

"I'm sorry, I just...I couldn't help thinking I'd almost lost you. You're stronger than I am, and I almost lost you." He shuddered as Gwen ran her fingertips over his arm.

"I'm not stronger than you. I'm just faster." Gwen teased.

"Not physically," Oskar shook his head. "You're always able to take the next step, and you don't seem bothered by the present or the past. Unless we happen to be on the water."

"Well, I'm usually hot and bothered in the present when you're around." She giggled as she stroked his hair and pulled his head to her chest. "So long as we're alive, we have a chance to keep going. It does no good to dwell on yesterday."

Gwen continued to stroke his hair as Oskar listened to the steady thumping of her heart as he fell into a dreamless sleep.

***End.


End file.
